The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-13

killed and 100 seriously wounded.
There are many who were slightly in
iured, OF whom no record was obtained.
A lis is being compiled In the Peoria
Offices of the compsnv. Mr.. Leonard
said that as near as he could ascer ain
the train was making abou, thirty
miles an hour at the inns OF the acci-
dent, not an excessive rate Of spesd, as
the track was Ia good condition. The
biidge, an ordinary fifteen ioot wooden
tfucture, was all right at 3 O'Clock In
the afternoon, when q train pse ed
over IL, and half an hour later the O. G.
ton men inspt cted 1t, III der Or
era in advance Of the excursion train.
It WAS all right then. As to
THE LIABILITY CT THR CgMPAEy,
or future Of the road, the president
Mr.. .Leor ard, con q not cav. The hrst
thins the officials will do will 10 10 de-
vote their attention TO the care Of the
uniortuua'e victims. IL wac blow
which would OF course be most serious
to the road, but that was o,hiDg com.
par, d with the death and injury TO
human beings. Mr., Leonard said he
could, in all conscience, say that he
believed the road had r-Nvided eveTv
reasonable and cu,to'n ~ s,fe gu ,rd.
With the cons mt o, DUrUue' Pres
ifeat l. ,onard has - - I'D that all
unclaimed bodies wrl -, jared fT,
washed and placed h, II, Nj ~ .nJ von
veyed to Peoria whe'e, win a1 tt.ir
effects, they will AWAIT idtn'ificstioD.
The bodies will he kept thes a. lops
- possible, and then, limo, III MT tifet,
will be inferred. Pes dent leonard
and Superintendent Armstrong viii 10
to Piper O,,y this morning to care for
the wounded there The Railroad and
Ware house Commissioners are sx.
pscted here about 10 O'Clock 10 invss-
tigats the accident. As teveral do
sired witnesses have not yet arrived.
II 10 not Pxpsc ei the coroner will
complete his hearing till late thh alter
noon.
The estimates OF dead this morplug z
are about the same as the figures sent
last night. The coroner's list, eviesd,
up to the time the inquest wa, ~.
sumed today, foots up sevepty.eix.
Notwithstanding contrary opl0 ions
expressed by the railroad ofiicias, Q
survey Of the wreck early today con.
q med the belief that several bodies
are still under the debris OF the
smash, d engine aud cars. The report
yesterday that twenty dead were ai
Piper City Ia denied this NOR rnlng by
the president Of the road. Three OF
four OF the wounded cArred,t to Y. pei
City yesterday did there, however, &C
that with the
10 ON THE C)RosER's LIST HERE
and those supposed TO be under the
wreck, the estimate OF eighty ioul
deaths appear 10 be very cloee 10 the
actual number. The horrors n the
wreck seemed deepening eaily thll
morn ng, instead ol leseening. Added
30 the pitiabls spectacle Of the dead
and the mlseries OF the dyipg, q etc Oh
Q sckeningly foul was iStuipg from nj
the numerous places where the corpsel
Of the victims YET remained. No pic.
ure OF the horrible occurrences Ia me
dlstely succet ding the sccldenl could
equal In uv,lting details the sceno al
tue Toledo, Peoria and Western depo
here today, The west end Of ihs liz
tie structure Ia q c,alhouse and lum
ber room, whore, promiecuousl,
stretched on the h)or Ia the Goa an'
rubbish, were seven unidenti a.,
bodies. Blood stained, bedrsgglt,
sheets and blankets were thrown loose
ly over each, bat sdorded little prd
,setinp from the swarms nj frs wnicl
were continuouly hoverirg ovo
them. Th0 awful odor emanatinI
from the bodies ,6ectnally kept The
room clear OF al but the hardest oI
tbs etill lingering, anxious or ouriou.
crowds. Two Of tho victims were
women, and the sight Of their faces
was one never 10 be forgotten.
Sensational features weri de- 'opsd
this morning as 10 the caute Of tho
wreck. Rumors we're h)at lait nigui
that II was due 30 robbers who fred
the bridge, but little credeIce was
given them. Ibis morniog new iacts,
apparently showing the catastrophe 10
be
THK WORK OF AN ORGANIZED B,ED,
o'Ine 10 light, aud the company n d
them worthy OF terlous invest gallon.
superintendent Armstrong aid 10
the Assoc aied Prs. reporter that the
more he inveslig tied the moro 10 ap
Deared 81 him that the bridge had
been set on fire. Tho burning grass
la its Immediate lota iiy was not Of q
nature that seem Il likely TO admit OF
the bridge catching from u. He bad
observed many thieve, at work and
had stopped them while despolling
the wreck ci property and money.
Instances Of the robbipg Of the dead
were being brought TO his attention.
The excursion bad been extensively
adv, rtised, and the time II would pass
over the bridge was well known.
Git izsns say that = gang Of suspielos.
fallows have been >loitering around
Chatsworth for some dayp. Many Of
t1ese wers found carly at tho wreck,
pay Ing more attention 10 relieving the
bodies OF their valuablss than TO car
ing for them otherwise. TrAinmen
aod passengers had frequent contsn.
lions with the vsndsle In one In.
stance Superintendent Armstrong
found q well known thief In the depot
room where the property taken from
the wreck was stored. While people
Of the town have dons all In their
power for thesudsrers, there Ia q horde
of tram pe and tilieyee In thia vicinitv
who do nothing but carry OF any.
thing they can g't their hands on.